ERIC Number: EJ1087070
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0924-3453
EISSN: N/A
Professional Inquiry for Inclusive Education: Learning Amidst Institutional and Professional Boundaries
Waitoller, Federico R.; Kozleski, Elizabeth B.; Gonzalez, Taucia
School Effectiveness and School Improvement, v27 n1 p62-79 2016
We examined how an inquiry group composed of a university professor, 3 doctoral students, and a grade-level team of 7th- and 8th-grade teachers negotiated their collaborative work. This effort resulted in the development of a 2-week unit that tapped into students' out-of-school knowledge. Our research question asked how learning occurs within a boundary practice formed by university and middle school participants. We used analytical tools from Grounded Theory to analyze videos of meetings between university and school personnel, field notes, and meeting artifacts. Participants engaged in a dance in which boundaries among institutions and professions were sustained "and" challenged. The inquiry project became an open-ended learning zone in which all participants sought and gave support in joint action, expanding the mutual understandings of the object of their work. We recommend developing relational agency (Edwards, 2007) to engage in inquiry projects for inclusive education.
Descriptors: Inclusion, Inquiry, Teacher Collaboration, College Faculty, Graduate Students, Middle School Teachers, Observation, Transcripts (Written Records), College School Cooperation, Grade 8, Grade 7, Educational Practices, Partnerships in Education, Group Dynamics, Learning Processes
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Elementary Education; Middle Schools; Secondary Education; Junior High Schools; Grade 8; Grade 7
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Office of Special Education Programs (ED/OSERS)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: H325D050017